Method for chiropractic adjustment



Dec. 20, 1955 J. c. THOMPSON 2,727,510

METHOD FOR CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT Filed Jan. 50, 1953 FIG. I

A TTORNE YS United States Patent Ofiiee 2,727,510 Patented Dec. 20, 19552,727,510 METHOD FOR CHHRGPRACTIC ADJUSTFVEENT Joseph Clay Thompson,Davenport, Iowa Application January 30, 1953, Serial No. 334,159 Claims.(Cl. 128-69) My invention relates to an improvement in the healing artas applied by the chiropractic profession in adjusting subluxations ofvarious patients, more particularly in the upper cervical region.

The objects of my invention are:

1. To provide a method or process for adjustment of the occiput, atlas,axis or third cervical vertebra, any or all of them, in a manner whichwill greatly lessen or avoid the pain a patient is frequently caused tosuffer from a vigorous application of force for adjustment ofsubluxations in that region;

2. To provide such a method of adjustment of increased and superioreffectiveness and accuracy for removing subluxations of the cervicalregion of the spinal column;

3. To provide a method of adjustment which will be useful overadjustmentof subluxations or misalignments and the bad effects resultingtherefrom;

4. To provide a method of adjustment which will enhance and improve theeffect of recoil and reduce or avoid excessive recoil of any of theparts involved, and which will reduce the number of adjustmentsnecessary in most cases;

5. To provide a method for adjustment of spinal subluxations which canunder adjusting force applied by definitely stop the movement of thepart of the headpiece in contact with the patients head and neck afteran adjusted length of travel thereof, with means adapted to Thepreferred form of my headrest is fully described in my co-pendingapplication for patent, Serial No. 319,639 and is illustrated in thediagrammatic drawings hereto attached in which Figure 1 is adiagrammatic plan View of headrest usable in my method;

Figure 2 shows a side view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail of one form of locking device to holdthe top Figure 4 shows an alternate form of mounting the top plate uponthe base plate of the headrest.

In Figures 1 and 2 the base plate 1 is shown with the top plate 2pivotally mounted thereon upon the shaft 8 carried by suitable mountings9 and 26, with helical one form of springs. mounted upon bolts 12-21. 5are mounted upon the base plate 1 and top plate 2 to limit the downwardmovement of the top plate.

A gauge bolt 24 is shown with its upper end united to the top plate 2and extending downwardly through the base plate 1 with a wing nut 25threaded thereon by which the distance open position In Figure 4 the topand base plates are shown hinged together at the outer end thereof withhelical springs 23 mounted in suitable sockets 21 and 22 formed in theopposing faces of the top and bottom plates of the headrest.

Stop blocks 4 and by the patient, digital palpation, use caligraph,X-rays, useful for that purpose.

The headrest to be utilized the method described, when of the patientshead and neck to cause the top plate of the headrest to come intocontact with the stops or base thereof, thus making provision wherebyvarious degrees of force may be applied by the doctor in administeringan adjustment.

Until the present time all side posture chiropractic tables designed forupper cervical adjusting (referred to as specific chiropracticadjusting), intended for employment of the toggle recoil for the removalof nerve presplates. the springs can be adjusted to increase or lowerthe resistance to movement of the top plate while the distance betweenthe plates at the inner end may be regulated in order to increase ordecrease the distance the head travels in receiving the adjustment.

When the adjustment is being made, as the head or neck descends therewill be increased resistance of the springs. When the head and neck havecompleted their travel, the top plate and base are provided with meansto lock them together, thus preventing the top plate from coming upagain until released by the operator, thus permitting the operator tocomplete the toggle and deliver the proper movement before releasing thetop plate.

In the exercise of my invention, any one of the common forms ofchiropractic tables, when fitted with such a resilient headrest, may beutilized to support the patient thereon either lying upon one side orkneeling with his head and neck resting upon the headrest in horizontalposition and with one ear inserted in a longitudinal channel of theheadrest provided for that purpose.

In cervical cases I attain the objects stated by preferably positioningthe patient with one side of his head and neck resting upon the headrestand one ear in the channel mentioned for that purpose, and with themastoid-ternporal regions of the patient resting upon the inner ormovable end of the head rest on opposite sides of the channel; adjustingthe headrest to provide the desired limitation of upward motion producedby the springs and to limit the downward motion of said movable endproduced by the adjusting force; applying point one of the nail hand ofthe operator to the surface of the neck or head of the patient at ornear as possible to the upper end of the transverse process of the atlasor axis; giving a quick forcible downward pressure of the nail hand uponthe part contacted, including torque if indicated, and with the togglemovement of the hands and arms of the operator all performed inaccordance with the standard generally accepted practice of thechiropractic profession and as described in such books as TheSubluxation Specific-The Adjustment Specific and other standard works.

In this specification, I use the term nail hand as used in said book toindicate the hand of the operator applied directly to the proper placein the neck of the patient. I use the term point one to indicate the endof the pisiform bone of the nail hand or wrist, and the terms torque andtoggle to indicate the motions described in said book which have becomestandard practice of the chiropractic profession.

In delivering such adjustments, the nail hand is placed in the positionindicated and the other hand, which is called the hammer hand is appliedto the nail hand and the power of both hands and arms is utilized indelivering the adjustment.

Quoting from the above mentioned book, it is well recognized thatintroducing invasionary speed to live man and he resists with recoilspeed, which speedy resistance adjusts the subluxation. Innate cannotrecoil on slow movement induced by shove or push. She recoils only wherethere is necessity for a rebound. She will recoil on a quick delivery offorces approaching invasion, or following invasion. Adjustment with thatextra something with staying-put value is the correction made by Innateon its recoil rebound to a speedy invasionary force. (Page 420.)

Adjusting vertebra (the adjustment with that extra something) is whathappened after my hands have left the back; it is that reaction thatoccurs when the innate recoils in body of patient, which resetsvertebrae into normal position. (Page 426.)

An adjustment-adjustment where we deliver a light, quick recoilconcussion of force, letting Innate absorb and recoil in retaliation;knowing Innate will adjust to correct normal position where it belongsand will best stay for longest possible time. (Pages 427-428.)

If the Chiropractor will work to secure an Innate adjustment (theadjustment with that extra something),

utilizing his forces merely as a means to an entree to get Innate tomake the adjustment, he will find that the subluxation will stayadjusted more permanently than before. (Pages 427 1-28.)

An adjustment is that which Innate will adjust itself to. If it needs aviolent jar to, recoil the vertebra into alignment, then Innate willgive it. If it needs a light readjustment, Innate will perform it. (Page430.)

The danger of overadjustment is generally well recognized. In the bookmentioned, it is said:

The adjustment for any and all torqued subluxations will be with nailpoint one upon either transverse process of atlas or axis spinousprocess. Great emphasis is now being laid to see that it is nail pointone, of nail hand, that is used. (Pp. 431-432.)

An adjustment consists of just so much and not any more; but it must bethat just so much. If there are no locks to prevent atlaswedge-side-slipping to the right, and no locks to prevent its beingadjusted to median line, then it is certain that there are no locks onthe other side to prevent its being over-adjusted to left.

If atlas rides dead center there will be no pressure-interference atinter-magnum-atlas foramen. Axis, to be normal, must ride its odontoidin normal relation with fovea dentalis; neither posterior, left norright.* (Page 440.)

If, however, an adjustment is given upon an atlas wedge-side-slip in aslow, shove, push manner, it can be made to go beyond normal medianline, but Innate not recoiling, it will not snap back into median lineand stays beyond, where it should not have been shoved or pushed. (Page442.)

For the reasons given above, it is of great importance that the force ofnail point one as applied may be increased by the momentum of the nailhand at point one traveling the given distance during its application.It is also of importance that the axis or atlas will also be caused totravel some distance and to accumulate a certain amount of momentumbefore the contact of the top of the headrest with its base stops themovement of the top of the headrest.

After traveling some distance the downward movement of the headrest isdefinitely and abruptly stopped at a predetermined point in accordancewith previous adjustment thereof, and this fact gives an increased suddenness to the action of the nail point upon the atlas or axis. As soonas the downward movement is stopped, the headrest is automaticallylocked in its lowermost position and it cannot interfere or obstruct thenatural recoil of the parts which takes place when the hands of theoperator are instantly removed at the conclusion of a swift thrust.

It is difficult to understand and explain just why momentum produces avaluable eflect in moving the vertebrae, but extended experience hasdemonstrated that it does have an important part in producing the directmovement as well as the torque movement of the vertebrae and to someextent the pressure of the nail point is cushioned in its movementdownward. In the same way it avoids or reduces the pain which may becaused when that cushioning effect is absent.

Likewise, the recoil of the tissues surrounding the vertebrae is aidedby the fact that the top of the headrest is automatically locked to itsbase at the lower end of the stroke of the operator and cannot travelupwardly until released by the operator.

My type of recoil adjustment, from a technical standpoint, difiersconsiderably from the recoil produced by the conventional headrest nowin common use, because my headrest will facilitate a high rate of speedof the hands of the operator in delivering an adjustment and will alsopermit a smaller degree of force to be effective when applied to thecerebral region in question.

I do not limit my process to the use of either tension or compressioncoiled springs, but it is obvious that various equivalent forms ofsprings, such as blade or plate or forked springs may be substituted forhelical springs and can be made adjustable to produce the same effects.

Likewise, the base plate of the headrest may be formed as an integralpart of the table or rigidly secured in a given position thereon withthe movable top plate pivoted thereto.

Various modifications may be made in the speed, force position andresting upon a headrest movable top plate pivotally mounted thereon withatlas or axis a conventhe has been stopped.

2. The method as described in claim 1, with means the top plate in itslowest position thereby or pressures therefrom are removed.

3. A process or method of chiropractic adjustment (to be applied aftertaking X-ray spinographs of the patient by which the location, extent,and nature of any subluxation or misalignment in the upper cervicalregion of the spine of a human being has been shown), which methodincludes the following steps: (a) placing the patient in a recliningposition with the head and neck resting laterally 40 upon a headresthaving means for permitting a short downward movement of that portion ofthe head and neck surrounding the subluxation or displacement and forverse processes of either the adjusting force thereon; and thusreleasing the atlas or axis; (0) exerting an then (d) removing the handspressure as soon as the downward movement of the nail hand has beenstopped.

A process or method of chiropractic adjustment to be applied afterexamining the patient by any of the means in common use by chiropractorsto determine the location,

position with the top of a headrest for permitting a short downwardmovement head and neck resting upon a movable having means thereof andthe operator to the neck adjacent one of the lateral transverseprocesses of either the atlas or axis; (c) exerting a swift downwardforce thereon; and (d) releasing the pressure as soon as the downwardmovement of the nail hand has stopped.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,052,102 Morgan Aug. 25, 1936

